Underthorne Drabs
by MaddisonAnne
Summary: Bits fom The Hunger Games Trilogy of Madge and Gale. Mainly from Madge's POV. "My heart beats like crazy as he leads me out the back door and towards the rarely electrified fence. 'Do you trust me' he whispers before ducking under the fence. I quickly follow, heart still racing. He takes my hand again and starts pulling me to the forest."
1. Chapter 1 - Reaping Day

**1. Reaping Day.**

I'm sitting at my piano, playing softly. I wouldn't say we're the richest family in District 12, but my father being the mayor definitely has its plus sides.

Today is reaping day for the 74th Annual Hunger Games, so dad is already out organising everything for the unlucky tributes.

There's a knock at the back door, it must be Katniss. Usually she brings some strawberries for my dad, because he's very fond of them. I open the door to see Katniss and Gale.

Gale Hawthorne: the boy who makes my heart skip beats.

"Pretty dress," he says to me.

I look down at my reaping clothes. I'm wearing a white dress that has a pale pink trim. I shoot Gale a look, I never know with him.

"Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?" I smile.

He looks confused, but then he smiles. Whenever Gale comes over with Katniss we have this thing where we banter back and forth.

"You won't be going to the Capitol," he says coolly. He slowly looks me up and down again, his eyes focusing on the small circular pin on my chest.

The look on his face changes, and I already know what he's thinking before he says it.

"What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was just 12 years old."

"That's not her fault," says Katniss.

"No, it's no one's fault. Just the way it is," says Gale.

I press my lips together and will myself not to cry. I hand some money to Katniss for the strawberries and wish her the best of luck. I watch them walk away before closing the door and going back to my piano.

My fingers find the right notes and the tears start streaming down my cheeks. What a great start to reaping day.


	2. Chapter 2 - Strawberries

**2. Strawberries.**

"I brought more strawberries..." his grey Seam eyes meet my blue ones.

"But my father left for the Capitiol yesterday..."

"Madge, they aren't for him." he smiles and takes my hand. "I want to show you something."

My heart beats like crazy as he leads me out the back door and towards the rarely electrified fence.

"Do you trust me?" he whispers before ducking under the fence.

I quickly follow, heart still racing. He takes my hand again and starts pulling me to the forest.

My head spins. This is crazy. I'm with Gale, alone in the forest.

He slows and sits on a log, dropping my hand. "Strawberry?"

"I would love one." I smile at him as he produces a berry from his bag.

"Can I ask you for something else first?" he stands again and steps closer to me, placing his free hand on my waist and holding the strawberry between us.

"Anything" I whisper.

"Get it yourself?" he places the strawberry between his teeth and winks.

I get on my tippy toes and bite off half the berry. He smiles and eats his half before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine.

My first kiss. In the forest. Eating strawberries. With Gale Hawthorne.


	3. Chapter 3 - Gale and The Games

**3. Gale and The Games.**

My eyes are glued to the screen. I'm horrified and hurt deeply by what I see, but I can't look away.

It seems like just days ago we were sitting in the meadow together planning our escape from this district. Now she's huddling in a cave with the Mellark boy, son of the baker. Cuddled in his arms. Its making me feel sick.

Before I can see anything else, I leave the house and head directly towards the meadow. Through the non-electrified fence. Not looking back.

"Gale!?" I hear a soft call behind me, "Gale, wait up? Please?"

I can hear her trying to catch up to me, but I keep going until I know we can't be seen from the fence line.

"Gale!" she finally catches up. "What's wrong?"

I turn and quickly embrace her.

"You were watching the Games, weren't you?" she whispers.

"Yeah..."

"So you saw-"

I cut her off, "Katniss and the baker's boy? Yes." She sighs and looks up at me.

"Are you okay Gale?"

"I'm fine, Madge." I look at her, brush her blonde hair behind her ear and softly kiss her forehead. "Especially because I have you."

She frowns slightly and whispers, "Then why are you so upset?"

I remain silent until she pushes me away and I sit on the grass. She sits beside me.

Moments of silence pass as we stare out to the horizon. Her voice breaks the silence.

"I think I love you, Gale Hawthorne..." she whispers.

I look at her, trying to hide the shocked expression on my face.

"I think I love you too..."


	4. Chapter 4 - They Return

**4. They Return.**

All of District 12 is crowded around the train platform. Waiting for our dual victors to return and make their home in Victor's Village.

I stand by my father's side, stealing glances at Gale through the crowd. He stands with Katniss' family, his mother and siblings also standing close by.

In all the confusion of The Games, the Hawthorne's have been announced as cousins to the Everdeen's. I suppose it's some kind of Capitol ploy to make sure the romance between Katniss and Peeta isn't interrupted.

Suddenly the camera's start flashing and the platform is bustling with energy.

"The train!" someone calls out, "The train is coming!"

I smile inwardly. "Good," I think, "The sooner they're here, the sooner I can go back to Gale."

The train pulls up and the metallic door slides open. There they are. Holding hands and smiling. The victors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games step out of the train and onto the platform.

Peeta leans heavily on a walking stick, his brow furrowed. Katniss also seems uncomfortable, probably just because of the flashing lights and the influx of Capitol inhabitants. The flashing cameras and women with microphones crowd around them, bombarding them with questions.

Slowly I make my way over to the Mellark's. His father is beaming with pride, his older brothers waving vigorously, his mother seething.

"I don't trust that Everdeen girl." She mumbles to her husband.

"If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have come back."


	5. Chapter 5 - Crime and Punishment

**5. Crime and Punishment.**

I sit at my piano, gently stroking the keys to string together a melodic chain of notes. A knock at the door interrupts me, like last Reaping day when Gale and Katniss brought over the strawberries.

"I've got it!" I call towards my father's study.

I slowly open the door to find Darius, one of the Peacekeepers, at the door. "Miss Undersee, your father needs to get to the square immediately!"

His face is concerned when he quickly turns to leave. I run up to dad's study.

He looks up from his desk. "What is it pumpkin?"

"Dad, Darius said you have to go to the square, right now. He seemed really concerned..."

Within minutes we arrive at the square to find a growing crowd.

I hear a whistling, the sound of a heavy impact, and the intake of breath from the crowd. I've never heard such a thing in my life.

"Madge, go home." My father's voice is harsh with insistence.

"What?" I try to look around him, but he steps in the way.

"Leave. I'll be home soon."

I swerve around him and push through the crowd.

Gale. My Gale, is tied to a wooden post by his wrists. His jacket lays on the ground. His shirt torn away, exposing his raw and bleeding back. Behind him is the new Head Peacekeeper that Dad employed only days ago.

I link the sounds from before to what I'm seeing in front of me. The Peacekeeper raises his arm holding the whip. A scream filled with pain and a plea for him to stop escape my lips.


	6. Chapter 6 - Run, run, run

**6. Run, run, run.**

I go to lunge forward when a tight grip encircles my wrist.

"Gale!" I screech out, the grip on my wrist tightens and begins to pull me back. I struggle against the force pulling me, tears stinging my eyes. The whip strikes his back again and his head drops. Time slows, I fall to my knees, the pressure on my wrist disappears. The whip is raised again.

That's when I see her. Katniss. She runs across to Gale in slow motion. The whip flicks toward Gale again, but she lunges infront of it. The impact instantly cutting the flesh on her cheek.

The blood trickles down her face, then drips to the ground into a pool of Gale's. It's overwhelming. My vision blurs and my hands find the ground.

Katniss' sacrifice and Haymitch's partially drunken slurs force the whipping to stop.

Time speeds up again and I find myself hurriedly crawling to Gale. His bounds are cut. He slumps on the ground.

When I reach him, I'm covered in his blood.

"Gale." I breathe, "Gale, I love you. You're going to be okay."

"Take him to the Everdeen's" a voice interrupts.

Katniss places her hand on my shoulder. I look up at her, tears streaming down my face.

"Madge, I need you to run to my mother. Tell her what happened and that we are on our way."

I nod in response; no time to talk. Then my feet are taking me to Victor's Village.


	7. Chapter 7 - Healer

**7. Healer.**

Before I even reach her front door, I'm calling out to Mrs. Everdeen. The door flies open.

"Madge, dear," her voice full of concern, "What's wrong?"

"Gale was caught hunting. New Peacekeeper. He was being whipped."

"Slow down, Madge." her voice is soothing.

I take a deep breath. "They're bringing him here."

She calmly guides me inside and asks me to clear everything off the kitchen table. While I start removing things off the table, Mrs. Everdeen disappears down a hallway.

When the table is clear, she returns with a white tablecloth, an armful of medicinal herbs and vials.

"You said he was being whipped?"

I nod "His back is all raw and bloody and ripped and..." tears again stain my cheeks.

"Shh," she sooths "Here, spread this cloth over the table."

As I do so, I hear the front door open.

"Mum!" Katniss' voice calls out, and Mrs. Everdeen disappears again.

They bring an unconscious Gale into the kitchen and lay him face down on the table. Though unconscious, his face is contorted in pain.

The men that carried Gale in leave, followed by Katniss. But Primrose quickly takes her place. Both Prim and Mrs. Everdeen fuss around Gale, deciding where to start.

I hear the front door again, within seconds Gale's mother is next to him.

"My poor boy, my darling boy..."

Mrs. Everdeen looks at me, and I know what she wants me to do.

"Hazelle. Come with me to the lounge room. He's in good hands, I promise."

We both sit on the lounge, sharing a worried silence, listening to Gale's groans of pain.

Prim appears at the door.

"Madge, do you still stock vials of morphling for your mother?" I nod. "Can you spare some?" I nod again and stand, already knowing what she's going to ask.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." I look at Hazelle. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

"I'll stay with her." interjects Prim. "Mum just about has his back sorted. He's just in pain."

"Be swift, dear." whispers Hazelle.

And again I am running through the streets of District 12.


	8. Chapter 8 - Betrayal

**8. Betrayal.**

I wake to the soft snores of Hazelle, still sitting in the armchair, cringing in her sleep. I sit up to rub the sleep from my eyes when I hear soft whispers coming from the kitchen.

I smile. "Gale must be awake" I think as I stand and begin walking to the kitchen.

I turn the corner and the smile instantly fades.

Gale's awake. Katniss is too. Her lips are pressed to his.

Tears prick my eyes. "I see how it is." I manage to choke out before running out the front door.

Away from the house. Away from Victor's Village. Away from District 12. Away from them. Not looking back.

Tears running freely down my face. I continue to run until I reach the fence bordering the forest. The buzzing emanating from the fence stops me in my tracks.

All my anger and frustration and hurt accumulate as I scream into the forest. Exhausted, I collapse to the ground, still screaming and crying.

I don't hear her until she speaks. "Madge," she whispers. "Madge, hear me out?"

I turn my screams towards her now. "HOW COULD YOU!? I LOVE HIM! NOW YOU'VE COME BACK AND RUINED EVERY THING!"

She lets my words assault her, without attempting to stop me.

"Madge," her voice still soft. "I'm sorry."

I stand and take a deep breath. "You should be." And with my words lingering in the air I turn on my heels going back home.

Only two things could possibly console me; my piano, and the boy who broke my heart.


	9. Chapter 9 - Visitor

**9. Visitor.**

A discordant melody resonates from my piano. The pain in my heart releasing into the air through music. A soft knock at the door jars my fingers into the keys.

"I've got it!" I call tiredly up the stairs. I open the door to find the blue eyed boy from my childhood. "Peeta, what do you want?"

"Katniss told me what happened." He looks sad. That's when I realize, I'm not the only one who has been affected by what she did.

"Come inside." I step aside as he walks in the front door. "Are you okay?"

He smiles gently, his eyes still holding sorrow. "I saw them too… Not as bad as you saw them."

I lead him to the lounge room as he tells me what he saw. He walked in while they were still asleep, Katniss gripping tight to Gale's hand, her good cheek resting on his arm.

"I woke her up and told her to go to bed. Then I went back home to get some fresh bread for the Everdeen's. When I went back over Katniss was gone and Gale looked shattered. I thought he was still just in pain…"

"Katniss wasn't in bed."

"I know," he whispered. "She followed you."

"And I screamed at her." Tears pricked at my eyes. "I told her she ruined everything."

"I didn't even know you knew Gale." He said raising an eyebrow.

"He used to sell me strawberries."

* * *

_"Strawberry?"_

_"I would love one." I smile at him as he produces a berry from his bag._

_"Can I ask you for something else first?" he stands again and steps closer to me, placing his free hand on my waist and holding the strawberry between us._

_"Anything" I whisper._

_"Get it yourself?" he places the strawberry between his teeth and winks._

_I get on my tippy toes and bite off half the berry. He smiles and eats his half before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine._

* * *

"Strawberries?"

"Yeah, kind of like how you gave Katniss that bread." I look away, absentmindedly clutching my own fingers.

He places his hand on mine. "You know he loves you, right? When I saw him, he was shattered. He kept mumbling how he had to make things right. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on his way here now…"

A knock at the door interrupts our conversation.


	10. Chapter 10 - Knock, Knock

**10. Knock, Knock.**

I open the door and instantly my eyebrows furrow.

"Hear me out, okay?" whispers the boy at the door, covered in snow. Reluctantly I step aside to let him in.

Peeta stands. "I should go now," he looks to me "Will you be okay?" I nod and he leaves.

Gale dusts the snow off his shoulders then steps inside. I shut the door behind him before walking back to the lounge room.

He speaks softly as he follows me. "Madge, what you saw this morning…" his voice hitches and he clears his throat. "It meant nothing. I promise you."

I remain silent, now seated on the lounge, looking at my lap. He continues across the room and sits beside me.

"Madge, please." He gently cups my cheek and turns my head to face him. "I don't know what was going through my mind. I didn't ask her to do what she did. She just did it."

The familiar pricks of tears fill my eyes again and I look back at my lap. His hand drops from my cheek to my hand.

"I love you, Madge."

"I know."

* * *

_Short, sweet, and full of nonsence... (in my opinion.)_

_Tell me what you think?:)_

_~MaddisonAnne_


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